Do you ever ask this question – “Should I upgrade my CMMS software, or should I take a risk and keep using an old unsupported version?” Taking a risk accurately describes what using unsupported software equates to. It’s like driving your car without insurance so when something goes wrong, it can cause you a world of pain. Eventually, unsupported software becomes a security, support, and business risk.

Version 3 was designed in 2008 and received upgrades and updates until late 2010 and has been unsupported since March 2013. We still offer Version 3 on our website for educational purposes, however, we do not recommend you use Version 3 as a professional grade CMMS in your organization.

What does using Unsupported Software Mean?

1. No further updates

Keeping your software up-to-date is crucial. Upgrades also introduce patches, hot fixes and security updates that address any bugs in the system. As Version 3 is end of life, it will not receive any upgrades or improvements going forward. Version 3 was designed to work on the technology in 2010, which means any new hardware or software upgrades in the future could introduce anomalies that can change the way the application behaves or slow it down.

2. No security patches

With supported software, regular service packs or security patches are released so the software security exceeds requirements. This protects customer data and maintains the reliability of the software. Staying diligent in maintaining and updating software remains the single most important factor in Internet security. Patches, software updates and service packs are all free with Version 5. With unsupported software, even if there is a major security issue, the developers do not promise to provide a fix.

3. No Technical Support

Fast and reliable Technical Support is the foundation of a well-running CMMS system and leads to increased productivity, reduced costs and improved profitability. Unsupported software does not come with tech support so when there is an issue, you must turn to community forums to find an answer. Version 5 comes with free tech support for those issues that need expert attention.

4. No New Features

Software updates introduce new features, improvements and workflows that continually increase your efficiency to save you time and effort. Unsupported software means no further development or updates will materialize on the product.

Why is Version 3 Unsupported?

Accessibility – Downloading and installing software can sometimes take a PHD in computer science. It resulted in a number of frustrated maintenance managers calling our support line looking for IT support rather than product support. In Version 5, we manage the IT infrastructure so there is no installation headaches and our customers can access their CMMS instantly from any web-enabled device such as tablet, laptop or mobile smartphone without difficulty.

Different Versions – With so many builds and patches, it became too difficult to continue to support Version 3. When upgrade and fixes went out, it could take weeks before the customer chose to update meaning they continued to use the software with bugs and issues. Different customers were on different versions so troubleshooting issues became a nightmare. In version 5, all customers are on the same build.

Why Would You Keep Using Unsupported Software?

As mentioned above, as new hardware and browser software is introduced over the coming years, there is no guarantee Version 3 will continue to function as normal. Many organizations actively choose to keep using unsupported software but they must be aware of the risks. Version 5 is fully supported by a team of software developers and tech support personnel and it receives updates on a weekly basis. Migrating to Version 5 costs as little as $29/user/month and takes 1 hour to move your data over.

Try it out for yourself before committing. Click the button below to use Version 5 as a guest, and see how it can improve the way you do maintenance today. You can keep all your Version 3 data too. When you are ready to move to Version 5, we can simply take your Version 3 database and import it directly into Version 5 within a few hours.

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